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Morris, a 640-pound alligator that starred in Happy Gilmore and Dr. Dolittle 2, has passed away. The Colorado Gator Farm, located in the state's Alamosa County, which housed Morris, announced his death in a Facebook post shared last weekend on May 11, 2025. The post mentioned that the alligator died of old age.
Noting he was the oldest one on the farm, the post explained that Morris had been living at the park for the past nineteen years, writing:
"Colorado Gators is sad to report the passing away of our oldest alligator, Morris. Morris was known for his work in many movies and TV shows from 1975 to 2006, when he retired to live out his days at Colorado Gators."
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Per the farm, they didn't know the gator's exact age. But added that Morris was nine feet long in 1975 and had only grown by two inches since. By measuring his "growth rate" and "tooth loss" over the years, they estimated he was between eighty and one hundred years old.
"Its the worst part of what we do, losing animals"—Morris, the alligator's caretaker, on losing the animal
In the video, Morris' caretaker and Colorado Gator Farm owner and operator, Jay Young, tearfully explained that the animal started "acting strange" about a week ago. He elaborated that the alligator was not "lunging" at them or eating food. Caressing Morris' head, he added:
"I know it’s strange to people… that we get so attached to an alligator, to all of out animals. Its the worst part of what we do, losing animals."
Young continued to state that Morris had a happy time there and noted that "it was part of life." In a separate Facebook and Instagram update, the farm announced that the alligator would be taxidermied in an effort to preserve his memory. The park jokingly wrote:
"We have decided to get Morris taxidermied so that he can continue to scare children for years to come. It's what he would have wanted."
According to the Natural Sciences Collections Association, taxidermy is a way to preserve vertebrate animal remains. It involves preparing and stuffing the animal for display or study.
The post included a video of the gator being weighed to depict its "massive" size. The clip showed he was 640 pounds.
CBS News reported that Morris was discovered as an illegal pet in Los Angeles. He was then handed off for care to the only person in the city with permits to house an alligator, Jim Brockett. Per the outlet, Jim supplied animals to various productions in the film industry.
Morris entered Hollywood in 1975 and retired in 2006. Over the years, he appeared in several notable films and TV shows, including Interview with the Vampire, Blues Brothers 2000, Night Court, and Eraser. According to CBS, the gator was also featured on Jay Leno's namesake Tonight Show alongside conservationist and wildlife advocate Steve Irwin.
It is worth noting that in Happy Gilmore, Morris' character was also taxidermized after the titular protagonist hunted him down as revenge for injuring his mentor and friend Chubbs. Per the NY Post, the animal bit off the latter's hand.
